Cocoa fiber smoking stick

ABSTRACT

A smoking device comprises smokable rod paper containing a plurality of cocoa fibers, the cocoa fibers comprising cocoa paper cut into elongated fibers. The smoking device may further comprise a filter affixed to one end of the rod paper. The cocoa fibers may comprise a first smokable material, and the smoking device may further comprise a second smokable material intermixed with the first smokable material and contained within the rod paper. The second smokable material may comprise tobacco. The cocoa fibers may be coated with an additive. The additive may comprise a flavoring. The additive may comprise cannabidiol or tetrahydrocannabinol. The cocoa fibers may comprise cocoa paper cut into elongated fibers each having a width of 0.003-0.050 inches.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to pending U.S. Provisional ApplicationSer. No. 62/796,793, filed Jan. 25, 2019, the contents of which areincorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to smoking devices, and more specifically forsmoking devices containing a non-conventional smokable material.

BACKGROUND

Smoking sticks, such as cigarettes, typically comprise a smokablematerial contained within smokable rod paper. While the most commonsmokable material contained in smoking sticks is tobacco, there are manyother materials that are known to be smoked in a smoking stick.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

A smoking device comprises smokable rod paper containing a plurality ofcocoa fibers, the cocoa fibers comprising cocoa paper cut into elongatedfibers. The smoking device may further comprise a filter affixed to oneend of the rod paper. The cocoa fibers may comprise a first smokablematerial, and the smoking device may further comprise a second smokablematerial intermixed with the first smokable material and containedwithin the rod paper. The second smokable material may comprise tobacco.The cocoa fibers may be coated with an additive. The additive maycomprise a flavoring. The additive may comprise cannabidiol ortetrahydrocannabinol. The cocoa fibers may comprise cocoa paper cut intoelongated fibers each having a width of 0.003-0.050 inches.

Alternative embodiments of the invention may comprise a smokablematerial comprising a plurality of cocoa fibers, the cocoa fiberscomprising cocoa paper cut into elongated fibers.

DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

Reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, which are notnecessarily drawn to scale. The following detailed description of thedisclosure will be better understood when read in conjunction with theappended drawings. It should be understood, however, that the disclosureis not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown.In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of a cocoa fiber smoking stick, in accordancewith embodiments of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSURE

Certain terminology is used in the following description for convenienceonly and is not limiting. The words “lower,” “bottom,” “upper,” and“top” designate directions in the drawings to which reference is made.The words “inwardly,” “outwardly,” “upwardly” and “downwardly” refer todirections toward and away from, respectively, the geometric center ofthe device, and designated parts thereof, in accordance with the presentdisclosure. Unless specifically set forth herein, the terms “a,” “an”and “the” are not limited to one element, but instead should be read asmeaning “at least one.” The terminology includes the words noted above,derivatives thereof and words of similar import.

Embodiments of the invention are directed to smoking sticks containingcocoa fiber (i.e., cocoa paper cut into elongated fibers, as describedherein) in any smokable rod paper, smokable material containing cocoafiber, methods of manufacturing or processing such cocoa fibers, andmethods of manufacturing smoking sticks containing cocoa fibers.Referring now to FIG. 1, a smoking stick 10 comprises conventionalcigarette rod paper 12 (or any other suitable smokable rod paper)forming a cylindrical shell into which a plurality of cocoa fibers 14 isplaced. A filter 16 may or may not be affixed to one end of thecigarette rod paper 12. While FIG. 1 shows the cocoa fibers 14 as fairlyloosely packed, linear, generally unaligned fibers, the cocoa fibers inmanufactured embodiments of the invention likely would not be as linear,would be more densely packed, and would be better aligned when in placewithin the cigarette rod paper 12.

The cocoa fibers 14 are produced from cocoa paper, which in turn isproduced from cocoa bean byproducts. The cocoa paper is manufactured byLeaf Lab, a subsidiary of SWM International. Specifications for thecocoa paper are in the Appendix of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No.62/796,793, filed Jan. 25, 2019, to which the present application claimspriority and the contents of which are incorporated herein by referencein its entirety. The cocoa paper from which the cocoa fibers areproduced and methods of manufacturing the cocoa paper are described inUS Patent Publ. No. 2017/0174404 by Ragot et al., published Jun. 22,2017, and US Patent Publ. No. 2015/0037389 to Ragot et al., publishedFeb. 5, 2015, the contents of which are incorporated herein by referencein their entirety.

The cocoa fibers 14 are produced by cutting the cocoa paper intoelongated fibers which are of a suitable size to be packaged incigarette rod paper and be smokable when so packaged. The cocoa paper iscut into fibers that have a width of about 0.003-0.050 inches. Thelength of the fibers is not as important, and there is not a strictupper or lower limit to the fiber length, but the length of the fiberswill typically (but not necessarily) be in the range of about 0.25-4.0inches. The cocoa paper has a thickness of about 0.003-0.020 inches, sothe resultant fibers will also have that same thickness. The cocoa papermay be cut up into the desired size cocoa fibers using any suitablemethod or machine.

The smoking sticks of embodiments of the invention may contain 100%cocoa fibers in the cigarette rod paper. Alternatively, a mix of cocoafibers and other smokable materials may be used. For example, a mix ofcocoa fibers and tobacco may be used to provide a smoking stick withreduced nicotine as compared to conventional tobacco cigarettes. Such amix may be, for example, 90% tobacco and 10% cocoa fibers (by weight orvolume), 70% tobacco and 30% cocoa fibers, or any other suitable ratio.The nicotine is reduced in proportion to the amount of tobacco that hasbeen replaced with cocoa fibers. Any other suitable smokable substance,instead of or in addition to tobacco, may be mixed in any desired ratiowith the cocoa fibers of embodiments of the invention.

For example, a variety of hemp products and/or a variety of marijuanaproducts may be mixed with the cocoa fibers of embodiments of theinvention, in any suitable ratio(s). Such hemp products may include, butare not limited to, hemp biomass, hemp flowers, hemp leaves, hemp buds,and/or hemp stalks. Such marijuana products may include, but are notlimited to, marijuana biomass, marijuana flowers, marijuana leaves,marijuana buds, and/or marijuana stalks.

Flavorings and other additives (e.g., cannabidiol (“CBD”) ortetrahydrocannabinol (“THC”)) may be added to the cocoa fibers beforethe cocoa fibers are inserted into the rod paper. The amount of additivethat a user receives when smoking the cocoa fiber smoking stick may belimited by regulating the amount of additive added to a specificquantity (e.g., pound) of the cocoa fibers. The process of addingflavoring and other additives to the cocoa fibers is the same or similarto the process of adding flavoring to tobacco. Additives may include,but are not limited to, THC and/or CBD isolates, THC and/or CBDterpenes, and/or THC and/or CBD tinctures, in any suitable combinationsand/or concentrations.

Embodiments of the invention also include cocoa fibers as describedherein provided loose (i.e., not in a smoking stick) for use in pipes orother smoking devices or for users to roll their own smoking sticks.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particularembodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. Asused herein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended toinclude the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicatesotherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises”and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify thepresence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements,and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of oneor more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements,components, and/or groups thereof.

The corresponding structures, materials, acts, and equivalents of allmeans or step plus function elements in the claims below are intended toinclude any structure, material, or act for performing the function incombination with other claimed elements as specifically claimed. Thedescription of the present invention has been presented for purposes ofillustration and description, but is not intended to be exhaustive orlimited to the invention in the form disclosed. Many modifications andvariations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the artwithout departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. Theembodiment was chosen and described in order to best explain theprinciples of the invention and the practical application, and to enableothers of ordinary skill in the art to understand the invention forvarious embodiments with various modifications as are suited to theparticular use contemplated.

That which is claimed:
 1. A smoking device comprising: smokable rodpaper containing a plurality of cocoa fibers, the cocoa fiberscomprising cocoa paper cut into elongated fibers.
 2. The smoking deviceof claim 1, further comprising a filter affixed to one end of the rodpaper.
 3. The smoking device of claim 1, wherein the cocoa fiberscomprise a first smokable material; and wherein the smoking devicefurther comprises a second smokable material intermixed with the firstsmokable material and contained within the rod paper.
 4. The smokingdevice of claim 3, wherein the second smokable material comprisestobacco.
 5. The smoking device of claim 1, wherein the cocoa fibers arecoated with an additive.
 6. The smoking device of claim 5, wherein theadditive comprises a flavoring.
 7. The smoking device of claim 5,wherein the additive comprises cannabidiol or tetrahydrocannabinol. 8.The smoking device of claim 1, wherein the cocoa fibers comprise cocoapaper cut into elongated fibers each having a width of 0.003-0.050inches.
 9. A smokable material comprising: a plurality of cocoa fibers,the cocoa fibers comprising cocoa paper cut into elongated fibers. 10.The smokable material of claim 9, wherein the cocoa fibers comprise afirst smokable material; and wherein the smokable material furthercomprises a second smokable material intermixed with the first smokablematerial.
 11. The smokable material of claim 10, wherein the secondsmokable material comprises tobacco.
 12. The smokable material of claim9, wherein the cocoa fibers are coated with an additive.
 13. Thesmokable material of claim 12, wherein the additive comprises aflavoring.
 14. The smokable material of claim 12, wherein the additivecomprises cannabidiol or tetrahydrocannabinol.
 15. The smokable materialof claim 9, wherein the cocoa fibers comprise cocoa paper cut intoelongated fibers each having a width of 0.003-0.050 inches.